The rain had begun before dusk, drenching the city in silver sheets that blurred glass towers and streetlights into shimmering ghosts. Aurora sat in the back of her car, her reflection fractured across the windowpane. Elise sat beside her, scrolling anxiously through her phone.

“Are you sure about this?” Elise asked, breaking the silence. “Damien Leclerc isn’t the kind of man you meet without a strategy. He’s… ruthless. His empire was built on consuming others. If he senses ...